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Home / Quick and Easy Recipe Made With Chicken Breast Tenderloins

Quick and Easy Recipe Made With Chicken Breast Tenderloins

Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders Pinnable image

Healthier chicken tenders cooked in a simple delicious garlic butter sauce. The chicken tenderloins turn out so tender, juicy, succulent, and flavorful. A weeknight dinner ready in just 15 minutes! This one of the easiest and best chicken tender recipes.

Close up shot of chicken tenders cooked in a sauce with chopped parsley

Chicken Tender Recipes

Chicken tenders are so easy to cook. I always make them on busy weeknights as they're ready in no time, and everyone in my family loves them. Sometimes I take out my grill pan and quickly make these grilled chicken tenders. And when I'm craving crunchy restaurant-style chicken tenders, I either make the crunchy buttermilk fried version or the healthier oven-baked chicken tenders.

If I'm not making a large batch, I make them in the air fryer. And another favorite recipe is these unbreaded garlic butter chicken tenders that I make in a skillet. They turn out so juicy, tender, and the garlic and butter make these tenders so special!

What are Chicken Tenders?

Chicken tenders are known as chicken mini fillets in the UK. Many people think that chicken tenders are just thin strips of chicken breast. But a chicken tender is a cut of meat found underneath and attached to the chicken breast, it's the most tender part of the chicken breast even though it's so small. Every chicken has 2 tenders, they're moist and tender when cooked properly.

You can find chicken tenders sold separately from chicken breasts in supermarkets on trays, so you can buy a tray with 10-20 chicken tenders to grill up, fry, or bake.

They are also known as chicken strips, tendies, and chicken fillets.

So if you're like me, and you prefer home cooked food, grab a tray of chicken tenders next time you go grocery shopping and make this recipe!

Overhead shot of chicken tenders in a skillet

The Ingredients

  • Chicken tenders – if using frozen, then thaw in the fridge overnight. You can use a boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips.
  • Butter and olive oil – Olive oil gives the tenders a great flavor, but can be substituted with any neutral oil.
  • Garlic – fresh garlic and lots of it! If using jarred, use 1 and half teaspoon of jarred garlic for every garlic clove.
  • Salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning – I always make my own homemade Italian seasoning blend, it's so easy to make, healthier, and cheaper than store-bought.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Ingredients needed to make garlic butter tenders

How to Make Chicken Tenders

  1. Add olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan/skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the chicken tenders, season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
  3. Cook for 3 minutes on each side (season each side as you cook).
  4. Make room for the garlic, melt the remaining butter, and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  5. Season with Italian seasoning, and cook for one more minute.
  6. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan to deglaze it, and scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (that's where all of the good flavor is).
  7. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, and serve warm.
A collage with 4 images on how to cook chicken tenders

Top Tips

  • Don't overcook the garlic. Garlic cooks very quickly (about 30-60 seconds), and burnt garlic tastes terrible so keep an eye on it as you cook.
  • Don't overcook the chicken tenders, they cook so quickly and if they're overcooked they can turn out stringy, dry, and tough.
  • To create a flavorful sauce, make sure to deglaze the pan with a splash of water as that's where the flavor is.
Chicken tenders in a le creuset skillet

Common Questions About Chicken Tenders

Can I use chicken breasts for this recipe?

Yes! Just slice the skinless and boneless chicken breasts into thin strips and cook.

What is the white thing in a chicken tenderloin?

Attached to the chicken tender is a tough white tendon. Leaving it on and cooking in is fine, but it's always recommended to remove it for better results.

Do you have to clean chicken tenderloins?

It is not recommended to rinse poultry before cooking as that can promote spreading bacteria all over your sink and utensils. All bacteria burns off when the poultry is cooked with high heat (165°F).

Are chicken tenders healthy?

Chicken tenders are very lean and healthy. They are also low in calories since they're skinless

What Should I Serve With Chicken Tenders?

  • Garlic butter pasta pairs SO well with these tenders!
  • Homemade coleslaw
  • Oven-baked French fries with the best ever French fry seasoning! For a healthier version of fries, try these delicious rutabaga fries! Ans for the sauce, try my copycat cane's sauce!
  • Red potato salad
  • Basil pesto
  • Homemade caesar salad
  • Chick-Fil-A Sauce

More Easy Chicken Dinners

  • Teriyaki chicken stir fry
  • Chicken scampi (Olive Garden copycat recipe)
  • Chicken fajita casserole
  • Creamy lemon chicken
  • Marry Me chicken

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Healthier chicken tenders cooked in a simple delicious sauce. The chicken tenderloins turn out so tender, juicy, succulent, and flavorful.

3 servings

Healthier chicken tenders cooked in a simple delicious sauce. The chicken tenderloins turn out so tender, juicy, succulent, and flavorful.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon butter divided
  • 1 pound (450g) chicken tenderloins (chicken mini fillets)
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped – for garnish

  • Add olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan/skillet over medium heat.

    Melting butter in a skillet

  • Add the chicken tenders, season with paprika, salt, and pepper.

  • Cook for 3 minutes on each side (season each side as you cook).

  • Make room for the garlic, melt the remaining butter, and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant.

  • Season with Italian seasoning, and cook for one more minute.

  • Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan to deglaze it, and scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (that's where all of the good flavor is).

  • Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, and serve warm.

  • Don't overcook the garlic. Garlic cooks very quickly (about 30-60 seconds), and burnt garlic tastes terrible so keep an eye on it as you cook.
  • Don't overcook the chicken tenders, they cook so quickly and if they're overcooked they can turn out stringy, dry, and tough. They are ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
  • To create a flavorful sauce, make sure to deglaze the pan with a splash of water as that's where the flavor is.

Calories: 292 kcal , Carbohydrates: 3 g , Protein: 33 g , Fat: 16 g , Saturated Fat: 6 g , Cholesterol: 117 mg , Sodium: 631 mg , Potassium: 606 mg , Fiber: 1 g , Sugar: 1 g , Vitamin A: 935 IU , Vitamin C: 3 mg , Calcium: 25 mg , Iron: 1 mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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